Dan in Spruce Goose

During Road trip 2006, CNET News.com reporter Daniel Terdiman grabs the yoke of the Spruce Goose--Howard Hughes' famous World War II-era wood behemoth of an airplane--at the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Ore.

Front of the plane

Viewed from its left side, the front of the Spruce Goose dominates everything around it at the Evergreen Aviation Museum.

Pilot's instruments

The pilot of the Spruce Goose had dozens upon dozens of instruments to control while flying. The co-pilot, on the other hand, had very few, as he was not certified to fly the plane.

Wing

The wing of the Spruce was so large that there's a door leading to its interior.

Large Spruce Goose

At the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Ore., Howard Hughes' famous Spruce Goose appears to be markedly bigger than everything else around it.

Spruce Goose tail

The Spruce Goose's tail is 80 feet tall. That's 10 feet higher than the maximum altitude the plane reached during its one and only flight.

Cockpit

The cockpit of the Spruce Goose had seating for about 20 people, the plane's crew of 10 and a backup crew.

Troop transporter

The Spruce Goose was designed as a World War II troop transporter and could hold 750 soldiers. However, it was not finished until two years after the war ended.

Left wing

Viewed from inside the cockpit, the Spruce Goose's left wing seems to go on forever.

DC-3 dwarfed

The Evergreen Aviation Museum is home to 70 aircraft. Here, the Spruce Goose dwarfs a DC-3.

Spruce Goose tail

Bill Detwiler is Managing Editor for ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic Pro and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. He was most recently Head Technology Editor for TechRepublic. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager and desktop support technician in the social research and energy i...
Full Bio